Content Area(s): Life Sciences; Engineering Topic: Structure of Shrimp Shells Leads to Super-strong Materials Short description: Research about the construction of mantis shrimp claws could help engineers design lighter, stronger materials for military, medical, and other applications.
Claim: The structure of peacock mantis shrimp claws might help engineers design stronger materials.
Keywords: crustacean, mollusk, strong man made materials Difficulty of Concept: Easy
MS-ETS1 Engineering Design
MS-ETS1-1. Define the criteria and constraints of a design problem with sufficient precision to ensure a successful solution, taking into account relevant scientific principles and potential impacts on people and the natural environment that may limit possible solutions.
Common Core State Standards Connections:
ELA/Literacy
RST.6-8.1 Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of science and technical texts, attending to the precise details of explanations descriptions.
RST.6-8.8 Distinguish among facts and reasoned judgment based on research findings, and speculation in a text.
WHST.6-8.1 Write arguments focused on discipline-specific content.
WHST.6-8.9 Draw evidence from literary or informational text to support analysis, reflection and research.
SL.8.1 Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions(one-on-one, in groups, teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 6 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.
Vocabulary Words: engineer, material composition, mechanical properties, vertebrate
Topic of Game Introduction Video: Strong and Weak Reasoning (Warrants) Description/Application of Game Introduction Video:
This brief movie is used to introduce the concept of strong vs. weak reasoning before playing the scenario about biomimicry of mantis shrimp to create stronger materials in the Reason Racer game. Reasoning is usually thought to be explaining how the evidence supports or refutes a claim. The chain of reasoning is called the warrant. Strength of reasoning considers the quality of an authority cited, how scientific theories are applied to the claim and how logic is used to tie evidence to the claim. This component of scientific argumentation requires students to carefully analyze evidence when making a decision about a claim. When students make their decision to accept or reject a claim, they should explain how the quality of authority, logic and theory were used to make the argument strong or weak. Before they play the game, students could have a discussion about evaluating the quality of reasoning based on the following information:
strong authority - evidence uses persons or places of good authority for the argument
weak authority - the persons or places used in the evidence were of little known or unknown authority for the argument
strong application of theory - using a theory accepted by the scientific community in the argument to support the claim
weak application of theory - if a theory was used in the argument, it did not support the claim, or it is not accepted by the scientific community as a thoery
strong logic - logical reasoning (analogy, correlation, cause-effect or generalization) was used to support the claim
weak logic - the presence of logical reasoning (analogy, correlation, cause-effect or generalization) was absent or does not support the claim
The hammer-like claws of the peacock mantis shrimp can smash through mollusk shells, the heads of small fish, even a glass aquarium wall. The claws themselves stay surprisingly strong, even after being damaged while delivering many blows.
Scientists have now discovered what makes these claws so tough. James Weaver of Harvard University and colleagues used specialized microscopes and other technologies to investigate the structure of the shrimp's claws down to a tiny scale.
They report that the claw has three regions, each with different material compositions and mechanical properties. The outer layer is dense with the hard mineral hydroxyapatite, which is also found in vertebrate bones and teeth. The layers behind it are less stiff, but they're constructed in a way that stops cracks from growing.
A better understanding of these claws and how they're built should help researchers develop many useful products. The team aims to use that architecture to build lighter and more effective armor for soldiers, fortify cars and other vehicles, protect athletes from concussions and build artificial joints for people.
Title: That Shrimp Pack a Punch
Content Area(s): Life Sciences; EngineeringTopic: Structure of Shrimp Shells Leads to Super-strong Materials
Short description: Research about the construction of mantis shrimp claws could help engineers design lighter, stronger materials for military, medical, and other applications.
Claim: The structure of peacock mantis shrimp claws might help engineers design stronger materials.
Keywords: crustacean, mollusk, strong man made materials
Difficulty of Concept: Easy
Reading Level (Pit Stop 8 Article):
Flesch Reading Ease: 49.1Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level: 11.2
Lexile: 1280
Next Generation Science Standards:
MS-ETS1 Engineering DesignMS-ETS1-1. Define the criteria and constraints of a design problem with sufficient precision to ensure a successful solution, taking into account relevant scientific principles and potential impacts on people and the natural environment that may limit possible solutions.
Common Core State Standards Connections:
ELA/LiteracyRST.6-8.1 Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of science and technical texts, attending to the precise details of explanations descriptions.
RST.6-8.8 Distinguish among facts and reasoned judgment based on research findings, and speculation in a text.
WHST.6-8.1 Write arguments focused on discipline-specific content.
WHST.6-8.9 Draw evidence from literary or informational text to support analysis, reflection and research.
SL.8.1 Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions(one-on-one, in groups, teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 6 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.
Vocabulary Words: engineer, material composition, mechanical properties, vertebrate
Topic of Game Introduction Video: Strong and Weak Reasoning (Warrants)
Description/Application of Game Introduction Video:
This brief movie is used to introduce the concept of strong vs. weak reasoning before playing the scenario about biomimicry of mantis shrimp to create stronger materials in the Reason Racer game. Reasoning is usually thought to be explaining how the evidence supports or refutes a claim. The chain of reasoning is called the warrant. Strength of reasoning considers the quality of an authority cited, how scientific theories are applied to the claim and how logic is used to tie evidence to the claim. This component of scientific argumentation requires students to carefully analyze evidence when making a decision about a claim. When students make their decision to accept or reject a claim, they should explain how the quality of authority, logic and theory were used to make the argument strong or weak. Before they play the game, students could have a discussion about evaluating the quality of reasoning based on the following information:
- strong authority - evidence uses persons or places of good authority for the argument
- weak authority - the persons or places used in the evidence were of little known or unknown authority for the argument
- strong application of theory - using a theory accepted by the scientific community in the argument to support the claim
- weak application of theory - if a theory was used in the argument, it did not support the claim, or it is not accepted by the scientific community as a thoery
- strong logic - logical reasoning (analogy, correlation, cause-effect or generalization) was used to support the claim
- weak logic - the presence of logical reasoning (analogy, correlation, cause-effect or generalization) was absent or does not support the claim
Link to Game Introduction Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ilXDFEmSM6YFull Text of Article:
The hammer-like claws of the peacock mantis shrimp can smash through mollusk shells, the heads of small fish, even a glass aquarium wall. The claws themselves stay surprisingly strong, even after being damaged while delivering many blows.Scientists have now discovered what makes these claws so tough. James Weaver of Harvard University and colleagues used specialized microscopes and other technologies to investigate the structure of the shrimp's claws down to a tiny scale.
They report that the claw has three regions, each with different material compositions and mechanical properties. The outer layer is dense with the hard mineral hydroxyapatite, which is also found in vertebrate bones and teeth. The layers behind it are less stiff, but they're constructed in a way that stops cracks from growing.
A better understanding of these claws and how they're built should help researchers develop many useful products. The team aims to use that architecture to build lighter and more effective armor for soldiers, fortify cars and other vehicles, protect athletes from concussions and build artificial joints for people.
References/Sources:
Additional Content:
Author: Kathy Carlsen